Tennis racket with string supports of variable resiliency



United States Patent [72] Inventor Eugene W. Nash 5246 Peacock,Riverside, California [21 1 Appl. No'. 735,438 [22] Filed June 7, 1968[45] Patented Dec. 8, 1970 [54] TENNIS RACKET Wl'lll STRING SUPPORTS OFVARIABLE RESILIENCY 3 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. 273/73 [51] Int. A63h 51/12 [50] Field of Search 273/73 [56] 7References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,937,787 12/1933 Robinson 273/732,610,056 9/1952 Lovell 273/73 FORElGN PATENTS 106,248 12/1938 Australia273/73(.3) 639,932 3/1928 France 273/73(4) 223,151 10/1924 Great Britain273/73(4) 234,021 5/1925 Great Britain..... 273/73(4) 279,577 11/1927Great Britain 273/73(4) Primary Examiner- Richard C. Pinkham AssistantExaminer-Richard .I. Apley Attorney-Dana E. Keech said openings andwelded at their ends to said loops. At certain spaced intervals saidoval subframes are joined together by welding to space said subframesthreesixteenth of an inch apart. Arcuate attachment rods of flexibleresilient plastic one-fourth inch in diameter rest in the externalgroove formed by said oval subframes, said rods being apertured toaccommodate the conventional strings used in stringing said racket. Saidrods are divided into two pairs of diametrically opposed sectionssymmetrical respectively with the major and minor axes of the racketframe and having a relatively high degree of resilient responsiveness,and two pairs of diametrically opposed sections alternately arrangedwith respect to said first two pairs of sections and having a relativelylow degree of resilient responsiveness, this feature producing a sweetspot in the center of the racket frame.

TENNIS RACKET WITH STRING SUPPORTS F VARIABLE RESILIENCY This inventionrelates to rackets for tennis, badminton, squash and similar games usinga stringed surface for striking a ball or other object.

Although such rackets have traditionally-been constructed using a woodenframe, recent years have seen several rackets developed using steel oraluminum frames. The use of metal frames has resulted in stringingproblems. Several methods of securing the racket strings to metal frameshave been developed and patented. For one reason or another all suchstringing methods or deviceshave proven less than satisfacto- Theinvention described herein is designed to improve such metal racket byincorporation and use of a stringing device which eliminates theobjections to the presently known rackets and their stringing.Inaddition, said stringing device provides certain other improvementsand advantages not otherwise available. v

The within-described invention is based upon a racket frame composed oftwo parallel metal tubes, each having a diameter of approximatelyone-fourth inch, or other suitable size as necessary for strength, whichare joined together together-at certain spaced intervals by welding orpinning, thereby separating the tubes approximately three-sixteenths ofaninch. Said parallel tubes are shaped into an oval frame for the racketstrings and then extended into the handle. By attaching a section ofsimilar parallel tubing to the string area toward the .racket handle,certain other cross braces as needed, and a wooden, plastic or metalhandle, the racket is complete except for the strings and theirattachment device.

The strings themselves are attached to the frame by stringing back andforth across the string area of the racket through the separationbetween the tubes of the frame into and out of solid fit-inch rods,composed of nylon, hard rubber, plastic or other suitable material,herein called attachment rod, which lies in the groovebetween andadjacent to and on the outside of the parallel tubes surrounding thestring area. The attachment rod is flexible, beveled at its ends anddrilled, or slotted, to accommodate the stringing pattern desired.

The dimensions of the racket, and consequently of its attachment rod,will vary depending upon the type of racket desired and its stringingpattern. The detailed description which follows is of a tennis racketand its attachment rod. However, such description'is' for purpose ofillustration only and should not be considered as a limitation.

FIG. 1 shows the total tennis racket consisting of parallel metal tubes1, the parallel metal crossmember tubes 2, the handle 3, the strings 4,the main attachment rod 5, and the secondary attachment rod 6.- Y

' FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the racket frame whichillustrates the tubular-frame members I and the crossmembers 2. Thethree-sixteenths inch separation between the parallel tubes is shown 7.v

FIG. 3 presents a cross-sectional view of the parallel metal tubes 1,the attachment rod and the strings 4.

FIG. 4 shows a partial perspective view of the racket when strungshowing the parallel metal tubes 1, the space between the tubes 7, theattachment rod 5, the string holes 8, the string slots between the holes9 and the strings 4.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional-view on a plane similar to the plane ofprojection in FIG. l'which shows the metal frame I, the attachment rod5, the strings in the impact area4, the strings passing between theparallel tubes 4a, and the strings passing into and along the attachmentrod 4b.

FIG. 6 is a partial view of the outside circumference of the racketshowing the parallel tubes 1, the space between the tubes 7, theattachment rod 5, the string holes 8 and a continuous string slot 9. v 7

FIG. '7 is a view similar to that in FIG. 6, but which illustrates adrilling pattern of the attachment rod 5 which consists of U-shapedrouted string beds 11 which leave an anchor knob around which therackets strings can be looped, thereby speeding up the stringing processby eliminating the necessity of pulling the entire string length backand forth between drill holes 8.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the attachment rod 5 having the samedrilling pattern as that illustrated in FIG. 7. The anchor knob 10 isoutlined by its U-shaped routed string bed 11. The next anchor knob 10is outlined by its U-shaped routed string bed 11a. These successiveanchor knobs 10 are offset so as to equalize the string pressures.

FIG. 9 shows a view of said racket similar to that shown in FIG. I butwhich illustrates the use of attachment rod sections 12 and 13 which areopposite each other in the stringing pattern and which by varying theresiliency of said attachment rod sections 12 and 13 a sweet spot" 14can be designed into said racket impact'area, according to the user'spreference. The term sweet spot" in tennis parlance means soft spot" andthis is attained in my racket by using a softer, more resilient plasticmaterial-for the rod sections 12 than for the rod sections 13.

The advantages of using such attachment rods include the following:

a. STRING PROTECTION 1. By eliminating the previously developed wire orspring steel string attachment devices, a critical metal to stringcontact is avoided and thereby the durability of the rackets strings isenhanced.

. The within described attachment rods provide a widened contact area atthe point where the strings are attached, thereby widening the point ofpotential wear and extending the life of the racket strings.

3. By providing slots between the string holes or routed beds in saidattachment rod, the racket strings are protected from accidental wearand damage similar to that afforded by the traditional drilled andslotted wooden racket.

b. Use of the attachment rods make the entire area within the racketframe available as an impact or playing surface.

0. The attachment rods eliminate all wires or other metal devicesdesigned for string attachment and thereby eliminates the bending orbreaking associated with such devices.

d. By contrast to the presently available wire or spring steel devicesfor string attachment, the attachment rods are simple in concept, easyto manufacture and handle, and do not require extensive storage andshipment protection.

e. The metal racket using the attachment rods is capable of being strungand restrung by use of traditional stringing machines and methods.

f. The attachment rods, when strung in place will not shift in locationand will not permit shifting of the rackets strings.

g. The attachment rods, because of their installed location surroundingand extending beyond the metal frame of the racket, provide a measure ofadded protection for the frame itself. A worn or unsightly attachmentrod can be replaced at least as often as new strings are installed,whereas a bent or damaged metal racket frame means a new racket.

h. The same metal racket can be strung or restrung in either traditionalor unorthodox string patterns merely by use of different attachment rodswhich are drilled or slotted to accommodate such pattern. a

i. By use of attachment rod material having different resiliencycharacteristics, the users of such rackets can vary the playingcharacteristics of their rackets. Neither the traditional wooden racketsnor the metal rackets using wire or spring attachment devices can offerthis particular individual playing advantage.

j. These attachment rods can be manufactured and offered in solid colorsor any combination thereof. Such possibility adds a worthwhile aestheticvalue to the otherwise tremendous practical advantages of the racketsand string attachment devices detailed herein.

I claim:

I. A racket comprising:

a handle;

an approximately oval frame having external peripheral groove means fromwhich ample string accommodating aperture means lying in the plane ofsaid frame communicates with the area confined by said frame;

means for mounting said frame on said handle; and

resilient string attachment rod means resting in said peripheral grooveand having holes communicating with said aperture means of said frame atsuitable intervals for stringing said racket; said rod means beingdivided into a plurality of pairs of diametrically opposed sections, thesections of each pair having a like degree of resiliency While thesections of alternate pairs differ in resiliency from that of theothers, to modify the performance of the racket in play.

